


Not Just Talking Body

by Ewok_Poet



Series: Anjie Mencuri stories [3]
Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Prequel Trilogy
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-10
Updated: 2016-08-10
Packaged: 2018-10-08 19:51:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,418
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10394799
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ewok_Poet/pseuds/Ewok_Poet
Summary: Two standard years have passed since an awkward near-Human named Anjie Mencuri became a member of Steamy Wasaka Stew. He is one of the boys – it's all about spice, sex and parties. Or is it? Let’s see what happens when he meets a girl...





	

**Author's Note:**

> **A/N:** This is my response to the [Chart Hits Challenge](http://boards.theforce.net/threads/chart-hits-challenge-can-a-recent-hit-inspire-you-seven-stories-completed-as-of-august-8th.50041378/). I had the misfortune of picking a sex song, Tove Lo's _Talking Body_. I approached it from both the literal stance and otherwise.  
>   
>  In terms of where it is in on the timeline of my Anjie Mencuri shorts, this story happens two years after [Radiophonic Heart](http://boards.theforce.net/threads/ep-defends-her-creativity-november-25th-my-tooka-a-poem.50026496/page-3#post-53068332), shortly after the events referenced in [Before the Fall](http://boards.theforce.net/threads/eps-neck-of-the-woods-july-01st-after-the-climb-oc-revolution-spring-challenge-2016-response.50026496/page-5#post-53615515) and long, long before [After the Climb](http://boards.theforce.net/threads/eps-neck-of-the-woods-july-01st-after-the-climb-oc-revolution-spring-challenge-2016-response.50026496/page-5#post-53666514). If you're new to these stories, I recommend you to read them in the order I wrote them.  
>   
> Madelle Griasmaa is an OC. A composite character, so to say – I based her on 2-3 characters I had on the ol’ drawing board and morphed them into a single one.  
>   
>  ** _Disclaimer: I am, in no way, endorsing or excusing some of the behaviours seen in this story! Just showing them the way they were in this micro-universe._**

_Their first meeting had been anything but a start of a perfect relationship._  
  
He was twenty, she was twenty-four. She was a struggling all-round artist, he was a fresh-faced and, as of recently, rich musician. She knew that he idolised Tosh Correll, or that he was made to believe that he did. That part was never clear to her – some said that it was something the marketing team had made up, some said that the boy was a lifelong fan of the older of the two brothers now resting in the cold vacuum of space. But she had given up on believing anything, from anybody at this point – after all, the marketing experts could have been working for COMPNOR at the same time, or some kind of weird poodoo like that.  
  
A mutual friend set them up. They were to meet in Svrtotrto’s, a small Squib-owned cantina in the Treasure Ship Row mall and talk about art. She had two tickets for a performance at the nearby semi-dilapidated Imperial Youth Club, a former expensive restaurant owned by somebody called Blobbo Fasolia Toupé. But his first impression of the young man that had caught her eye earlier was that he would likely eat them. He was not behaving like a sentient. The ability to speak was not making him intelligent and she was close to disappointment.  
  
He was sitting in the corner, frenetically smoking cigarras and drinking caf. With an almost Kaminoan-pale skin tone, a youthful face that made her wonder if he was really twenty or if he had forged his personal records, and a black tunic three sizes too big over a pair of a grav-ball short, he resembled a jester at the Imperial Palace. There would have had to be jesters, right? What kind of beings forget to put on their trousers when they head out?  
  
She walked up to him and entered the cloud of cigarra smoke surrounding what was to be her seat.  
"My name is Madelle Griasmaa. You must be Anjie?"  
  
He looked up, grinned and stared at her for about ten seconds, not noticing that ashes were falling off his cigarra, straight onto the piece of flimsi he was scribbling on.  
  
"Y-yes. I am the motherkriffin’ Anjie Mencuri! Don't you forget who I am!" He was screaming into her face. Seconds later, he reached for his belt, dropped his trousers and she saw more than she wanted to see before even meeting him. "Look, that’s my Imperial Star Destroyer!"  
  
And look, she didn't.  
  
"Is this supposed to impress me?" She took Anjie's other hand. "I guess Antonio and Wompy never tell you any stories about women who were more than a talking body, those they did not manage to seduce. I was friends with the Correll brothers for a while. I know insecure boys with quetarras up to the black hole in their Deep Core!"  
  
He was blushing. Was a member of Steamy Wasaka Stew ever capable of something like that, or did he actually have some wacky stage make-up on that she was not aware of? He pulled his trousers back on and looked down. For the first time since he had become famous, a girl was straight up telling him that he was full of poodoo. What was going on? The guys had taught him how to get any woman – from a chained Twi'lek dancer to a stuck-up Kuati girl from a good family and he was young and capable of getting what he wanted and then moving on to the next. And next. And next. But this was different.  
  
"I'm sorry, Madelle." He eventually managed to blurt out, with a deep sigh. "Please, sit down."  
  
She sighed and took the remains of his cigarra, then put it out. "How many of these did you have while you were waiting for me?"  
  
"Eight…maybe seven…but I think eight." Anjie was squirming in his chair, as if he had sat on a bunch of needless, slightly blushing. “What do you th-think of the symbolism of that n-number?”  
  
Madelle’s face lit up. _Maybe she was right about her initial assessment of the young man before her, after all._  
  


…

  
On their next date, Anjie was seemingly more approachable. That was the first time Madelle noticed the difference between his real smile and the one she had caught many times at the theatre where SWS were rehearsing for their Corellian Oversector tour in support of their new holoalbum, StarSpiceSexySinners. The latter was bordering on a sneer, showing his awkwardly large teeth and it would usually come with a flamboyant pose. When holocams were away, however, he had a sweet, sheepish smile, he was soft-spoken and fidgety, rarely looking into her eyes. There was a moment when she caught him playing with his own foot, with the sense of wonder not seen in anybody over two standard years of age. She was not sure if she was supposed to ask him if he was feeling comfortable - this seemed to be the more comfortable of his default states to begin with! And he did call her “Mady” at some point, solely to ask if he was allowed to do so and apologise afterwards.  
  
“Mady it is. Nobody ever calls me Madelle, after all.” She assured him. They spent the rest of the evening talking about Vayad Bantheus’ real self vs. his constructed on-stage characters and Anjie seemed to be a big fan of the one who had gone to another galaxy and came back completely changed. At some point, she thought that maybe, just maybe, he wanted to become somebody else. But he was young, boys were to be boys and, at twenty, still not looking as if he were shaving more than twice per week, he was most certainly a boy - not a man.  
  


...

  
The third time around, Madelle suggested that they take a walk around the Axial Park. Anjie was somewhat unsure of it, but he eventually accepted it. He was walking faster than her, mostly looking at his own feet, and always carrying a cigarra in the hand that he was not holding her hand in, forgetting about it more often than not. He seemed generally cheerful, talking about his fascination with the teachings of the Sith Wars-era sages. This was not the first time that she heard of somebody admiring the Jedi as much as Sith - after all, a true artist had to appreciate the evil ones, too. Weren’t they too just dancing with the death most of the time? Especially those heavily involved in the spice scene of the Blue Sector here in Coronet!  
  
Anjie ordered a take-away caf and they sat down. Then he had to order it again, because he dropped it the moment he looked at her.  
  
“All this technometry...technocracy...technology, sorry..” He pulled yet another sheepish grin. “...and we still don’t have anything that would keep these mugs from spilling! Kriff that!”  
  
She assured him that it was all right by her. Once he came back with another cup, she held his hand again. He blushed and looked at her. Madelle knew that expression well - this was the moment he was likely going to find an awkward way to kiss her on the lips.  
  
Just then, they were interrupted by a Human and a Theelin girl passing by.  
  
“Is that one of the guys from Steamy Wasaka Stew?” One of the girls asked.  
  
The other one squeaked like a furry sentient. “Somebody famous? A musician?”  
  
The one that seemed more rational continued. “Yup, alright...not that sexy Antonio, but the other kind of handsome one. Close to our age. Heard he had a big lightsaber, too - Sylee has seen it, though I’m not sure if it was just her wishful thinking.”  
  
What came from the previous squeaking girl’s mouth was finally beginning to sound like words. “Nobody can be bigger than Antonio, that’s nonsense! He is the biggest lover in the Galaxy! Every woman wants him! I don’t want to see this one, he’s stupid! Just a boy!” She was on the verge of tears.  
  
“I think I know his name.” The pragmatic one said. “Tosh Correll. His brother is at the drums and he plays quetarra. I’m going to ask him to sign something.” She pulled a piece of flimsi and ran towards Anjie and Madelle.  
  
“Excuse me, Master? Are you Tosh Correll, the quetarra player in the Wasakas?”  
  
Madelle cocked her head. Anjie smiled.  
  
“N-no, he died three years ago. M-my name is Anjie Mencuri and I replaced him. I d-d-do look up to him. I’m sorry to have disappointed you.”  
  
“You didn’t.” The girl looked down for a moment, but seconds later, she pulled a stylus and a piece of flimsi from her bag. “You’re still a member of Steamy Wasaka Stew, which is, like...super-Core! Could you sign this for me?”  
  
Anjie nodded and took the stylus. Madelle noticed that he was signing his full name - no stylish signature to speak of. He got a letter in his own last name wrong, or so it seemed. She was about to tell him so, but the other girl, previously standing further away, suddenly stormed towards them.  
  
“Sign my stormie helmets!” She screamed, opening her tunic just about enough not to completely expose herself. “Please! You are famous! And….can you introduce me to your friend, Antonio Nokaarbe?”  
  
Had the girl not stood between his date and him, Anjie would have been able to seek help from Madelle. This way, he shrugged and, his hands shaking, signed the young girl’s chest. He then swallowed a lump and told her where they were rehearsing.  
  
Soon later, both girls disappeared - still giggling. Anjie reclined himself on the bench and he stared at the sun setting in the distance, over the high-rises of the Coronet City, not saying a word to Madelle.  
  
“W-would you like to see m-m-my equipment?” He asked all of the sudden.  
  
At this point, Madelle was pretty sure that he was talking about his music recording gear and not what she had already seen minutes before their first date had even started. But either way, she was in for both. A small smile, just barely seen with the ends of her lips going up, appeared to have confused him.  
  
“Mady! I don’t mean the, you know, err, um...oh. I’m sorry. I have holorecs from a couple of thousands year ago and they can be p-played only on this thing that was rumoured to have been owned by the then rulers of Naboo themselves - I’m sort of Naboo, by the way, but don’t worry, I’m v-very Corellian - where was I? Oh, the holorecs. You’re going to like them...I hope!”  
  
She cut him short by starting to kiss him. At first, his mouth was closed, but it took him very little to join in, embrace her and whisper a sweet nothing, miles away from what his friend, Antonio, would say to a girl.  
  


...

  
  
For the next three days, they spent the time at Anjie's messy loft on top of one of the older high-rises. Madelle was wondering if the young man had any directions or clues at all. The housekeeping droid was turned off and she had to turn him on - there had been weeks’ worth of laundry and dishes that her younger acquaintance had apparently forgotten to take care of. Similarly, she realised how many of his appliances and decoration were outdated.  
  
On the other hand, every single item of equipment, every single quetarra he owned was expensive. There was a point where he shyly confessed to her that he had spent his first gig credits on a genuine Zabrak, pre-hyperspace-era instrument and that he had to eat at his mother's home until the next date the wailer-group had booked, much to the dismay of his stepfather.  
  
Madelle was now sure - Anjie was ridiculously enthusiastic about his music, in love with creating it and exploring it, but also ridiculously fit for everyday life. His story about how he once cleaned the marble patio of some villa close to his grandparents' home on Naboo was only adding up to it. He was apologising about the fact that he, Empire forbid, used to work a regular job at any given point and begged him not to tell anybody, but he really, really needed to see Dalyn R. Baobab perform undercover before the elusive peace-loving wailer had gone back to wherever he was residing now. And then, he went on and on about how he, just like any other true musician, loves Baobab, but prefers the "wackier" stuff he done, as opposed to Galactic peace and anti-Empire anthems, the Scarlet works, as opposed to banned.  
  
As far as sex was concerned, Anjie spoke about his previous lovers to detail - but he could not remember the girls' names. Most of them, he confessed while trying to avoid Madelle's eyes, came to him on their own - and some of them picked him because Antonio was busy. There was one who wanted to drink sweat from his grav-ball short after an event, but he was scared of that, so he sent her to Wompy instead. For the reasons he admitted he didn't fully understand, Wompy obliged. Madelle was shocked. He could see it, but he had to assure her that Wompy and Antonio were still his idols, best friends, older brothers and partners in crime. They would get him into the Twi'lek dance clubs that he was still not allowed in due to being underage, they would tell him where to seek an occasional fix of herbs to smoke that, it turned out during this visit, was not occasional to begin with.  
  
"Wompy does it all the time." He assured her. "I was full of it when we were doing the holovid for 'Take It With You'."  
  
Madelle had not seen that holovid. Anjie played it for her on his viewscreen - they only had to sit there for ten minutes in order to catch it. It was obnoxious - Antonio Nokaarbe was being Antonio Nokaarbe, attempting to sing, dancing as if he was taking part in a semi-sentient species' mating ritual.  
  
"We d-did that holovid on an Outer Rim planet called Tatooine! The director had to pay somebody called Jabba the Mutt..."  
  
"Hutt?"  
  
"...yes, Hutt, that, a number of credits to use a place called the Dune Sea! And I was nervous, the place had a strange energy! Wondering how and why, since we were so, so, so far away from the Core!"  
  
Just then, a glimpse of a smiling Anjie dancing with what looked like a replica of some ancient combat device, more graceful than most women she knew, came onscreen. The expression in the hologram's face was just like the expression of a young man before her. She could not help but smile back at him. Seconds later, they were lying on the floor, rolling over one another. The holovid was no longer important in any way.  
  


...

  
  
On the dawn of the fourth day, Madelle woke up with Anjie sleeping with his head on her belly. They were both in the nude, though a single greyish sock was still on one of his feet and her hair was half-up.  
  
Madelle sighed. She could recall the sentence she blurted out twice that night.  
  
"You have never made love. And Antonio thinks nerf-like kriffing is love."  
  
Anjie blushed both times and the second time, he nodded in agreement. He asked her what she wanted and, though he was pretty bad at it - did everything the way she liked. She was not losing hope - he was big on practicing, after all. He was to learn how to please a woman and not fall asleep immediately after. He was to learn how not to yell a bunch of obscenities and share stories of the outrageous orgies and Wookiee-grandpa-worthy sex acts and then blush when told that he had nice abdominal muscles.  
  
She must have fallen asleep again, as he woke her up when Correll was already high in the sky. She grabbed her dress and put it on, then sat on the edge of the bed. Anjie was holding an instrument that made some Bith band famous in his right hand and a cigarra in his left.  
  
“Look, Mady! I have learned how to play bavoonka. I think!”  
  
His voice was raspy from what was close to three full packs of cigarras. He was sitting on the floor next to the messy bed, wearing just a Bantha wool cap that she recognised as a part of traditional Corfai attire.  
  
"S-sorry, I forgot to put the rest of my clothes on. I was so excited about the bavoonka! Listen!”  
  
He blew into the instrument, which emitted a couple of odd sounds. That was definitely not how it was played, but he seemed to be excited about it and not concerned about his hunger, his naked body and the cigarra burning through the rug. The latter was especially concerning - there was a kriffin' fire right next to him! Madelle got up and spilled some water over it.  
  
"S-sorry, Mady! I will dress up and m-make something to eat. I need to concentrate on the second v-video shoot, anyway. We are doing 'Underlevels' this afternoon and the manager will send an air-taxi for me at some point." He got up and looked at the hole in the rug. "That song is Antonio's m-most introspective one, ever, so the rest of us are not going to be seen as much, but still, I'm excited. The intro is beautiful, if it's...not kriffslider-ish of me to say so."  
  
"An air-taxi? But you have a speeder docked to your balcony!" Madelle was surprised.  
  
"I can't pilot one. I tried once and I ended on top of a tree somewhere in the suburbs. Not sure how that happened. but..." He reached for the cap, to take it off. “....it happened, you know?”  
  
"Keep that on! It looks good on you.” The girl got up and headed to the wardrobe. "It will look good with this, this and this." She was throwing pieces of clothing his way. The young man standing in the nude, in the very same place where she left him was smiling awkwardly once again. When not posed for racy holos and wearing on-stage glowing paint and the unfortunate single oven mitt costume that the Wasakas were notorious for, it was clear that he was not that buff at all. In fact, he was most likely underweight and she felt it, too- his bones were poking her when they made love. The only SWS credential he had was a rather nice build, resembling old Naboo statues of mythical fighters. He had another thing in common with those statues as well - very pale and freckled skin, reminiscent of the stone used to carve them. Overall, one would have needed a probe droid to spot any sign of a true Coronet City buff.  
  
Madelle was starting to see a pattern here.  
  
She came to him and gave him the overtunic, trousers and a pair of shoes. "I am not big on girlfriends choosing clothes for their men, but these will make you look bigger. And cute. You know...snuggly." She hugged him and gave him another kiss, ignoring his vile cigarra breath. Whatever he was smoking, it was probably an Outer Rim brand - definitely not the elite PharmaCorp stuff.  
  
“I don’t want you to be my girlfriend.” He said. “We will b-be each other’s doom. I am supposed to have a different girlfriend in another life...not sure if this life is worth the effort.”  
  
Madelle raised her voice. “Is this some poodoo that Antonio is telling girls after he beds them?"  
  
"N-no!" That was Anjie's clumsiest kiss so far. "I...just...don't know how to be a boyfriend. I was never a real boyfriend to anybody.” He attempted to swallow a lump without her seeing it, but his protruding trachea gave him away. “And I was serious. In another life, my girlfriend is somebody awkward...whom I would have to kiss first!”  
  
"I call you my boyfriend." Madelle poked him on the nose. "We will work on that.”  
  
"Okay, you are my girlfriend...I...I love you. I think." He blushed again. "Can you go to the shooting with me? I'm nervous about it. Really, really nervous. And do you like flatcakes with zherry jam?”  
  
She nodded. Twice.  
  
_Their relationship was to be anything but perfect._

**Author's Note:**

> [Treasure Ship Row](http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Treasure_Ship_Row) is a mall in the Coronet City.  
>   
>  Blobbo the Hutt's fancy restaurant turned into an "Imperial Youth Club" is not [the one seen here](http://boards.theforce.net/threads/ddc-2016-letters-never-sent-ocs-rots-e-book-available-new-august-09th-at-valorums-home.50037130/page-3#post-53387297). I can imagine that he had owned more than one during his time on Corellia.  
>   
> [Grav-ball](http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Grav-ball) is a GFFA sport and grav-ball short would be something like boxers. Fanon.  
>   
> [Corellian Oversector](http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Corellian_Oversector) exists during the reign of the Galactic Empire.  
>   
> Vayad Bantheus is a Bowie-like musician of the past that I created for my stories, months before actual Bowie passed away. Similarly, Dalyn R. Baobab is a Bob Dylan-inspired character.  
>   
> [Axial Park](http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Axial_Park) is a huge park in the Coronet City.  
>   
> [Blue Sector](http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Blue_Sector) is the most dangerous part of the Coronet City.


End file.
